Confessions of a Smitten Best Friend
by goshinote
Summary: AU. As college juniors, Kagome and Inuyasha are best friends. Love blossoms for one of them. Unrequited or reciprocated? Well, let's just hope it works out. Two-shot. Complete.
1. Kagome

Hi, friends! Here's a more light-hearted story after that sorta emo one I posted the other day. Little two-shot for you. Quite a special one to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Confessions of a Smitten Best Friend**

Chapter 1: Kagome

One month. That's all it had taken for her to know she was into him. Like…_super_ into him.

But she knew it wasn't in the cards, so she figured she should just ignore it and move on.

For a while, it worked.

Inuyasha had become Kagome's best friend, and she had become his as well. They hit it off during the first week of classes at Shikon University their freshman year, and since they had the same major and minor, they definitely saw a lot of each other.

It didn't take long for them to realize they had a lot in common and that they just overall _got_ each other. One exchanged glance could portray an entire conversation, and there was a unique understanding between them that Kagome could never quite explain in words.

Two-and-a-half-years after they met, they sat in one of the study rooms in their university's student center. It was the third day of the second semester of their junior year, and they were talking about the unbelievable amount of homework they had.

"I can't believe we already have three papers due next week," Inuyasha complained as he drifted out of his chair and onto the floor.

It was a thing. Sometimes laying on the floor was the only thing you could do.

Kagome half-giggled, half-groaned. "I just wish we could have a one-week grace period so we can at least adjust a _little_ to being back in classes." Coming to join him on the floor, she laid back and sighed.

"Three more semesters, pal," she muttered. "Just three more." Inuyasha sighed.

"It feels like ten, buddy." He scoffed. "Someone just needs to tell all of our professors to take all those sticks out of their butts and cut us some slack." Kagome sat up a bit to lean back on her elbows.

"It's college, Inuyasha," she reminded. "It's _supposed_ to be hard." Inuyasha met her gaze and finally grinned.

"Right," he replied. "I always seem to forget." Kagome laughed and lay back down.

"Where's Sango tonight?" Inuyasha asked. Sango was their other close friend on campus. She usually hung out with them, but she was with her boyfriend, whom was also Inuyasha's roommate and close friend, that night.

"With Miroku," Kagome answered. "They're celebrating their one month." Inuyasha shook his head.

"One month?" he repeated. "Seems like it's been a lot longer."

Kagome shrugged. "That's because they've been in love with each other since they met. It took a while for them to admit it…well, it took Sango a while."

Inuyasha laughed. "Oh, right," he replied. "Minor details." Kagome grinned before sitting up.

"We have a lot of homework," she said. "We need to at least do some of it." Inuyasha tugged on her arm.

"Or we could just lay here and pretend that college isn't a thing," he suggested. Kagome chuckled as she playfully shrugged off his hand before standing up.

"We do that every night," she reminded. "It never works." Inuyasha heaved another heavy sigh before getting up and joining Kagome at the table.

Sitting down in the chair across from her, he pulled out his laptop and clicked on the assignment with the closest due date.

Luckily, it was one of the many classes they had together, so they could bounce ideas off each other like they usually did.

Kagome glanced up at him from across the table. He had his focused look on his face, with a slight frown and determined eyes set on the laptop screen in front of him. His lips moved a bit, so Kagome knew he was re-reading the assignment to himself.

She looked away before he could notice her studying him.

Kagome's feelings for Inuyasha were a can of worms that they didn't like to open.

Right around the time they met, she had a thing for him, and she'd told him how she felt. He didn't reciprocate, so there had been some awkward tension for a while. That was two years ago, so they'd moved past it, even going as far as to joke about Kagome's "text confession" from so long ago.

Things were normal. Inuyasha knew that her feelings for him were gone now, so everything was platonic between them. They were best friends and it was perfect.

Well, perfect enough. She was content with how they were.

The problem was that she'd never truly, completely been able to get over her feelings for him. It had been off and on. She'd dated a couple guys, but they didn't last long. Something never felt right with them, and it wasn't until about a month ago that Kagome realized it was because they just weren't Inuyasha.

Yeah. It's pretty bad.

So she was harboring that secret: her feelings for Inuyasha had returned full-force, to the point that she wasn't sure if she'd ever been over it at all in the first place.

But it was fine. She was grateful for the friendship, and she didn't want anything to change.

"So did I tell you I have a date on Friday?"

Her heart dropped as Inuyasha broke the silence.

Kagome glanced up at him. "Nope. Who is she?" Inuyasha didn't look up from his screen.

"A girl named Kikyo. She's from one of the classes you and I don't have together, so you wouldn't know her."

Kagome nodded. "Cool." She did her best to not have an awkward twinge in her voice, but apparently she didn't succeed.

Inuyasha finally looked up at her with concern on his face.

"Kagome? What is it?" Kagome shook her head.

"Nothing," she lied smoothly. "I just thought that we had plans Friday night but now I remember it's Saturday night." Not that they didn't see each other every day anyway.

Nonetheless, Inuyasha looked a little relieved.

"Okay," he replied, seeming to be content again. "Of course we have plans Saturday. I'm ready for our usual ramen place." Kagome laughed and decided to pretend that Inuyasha had never told her about his date. It was fine. Everything was fine.

_Actually, no. I'm stupidly, moronically, ridiculously in love with you._

Kagome held back the idiotic confession. It had failed before; she wasn't about to say it again.

Sometimes she was tempted, though. They'd talked about it two years ago. They'd gotten closer since then, and there were definitely moments that she thought maybe he felt something for her.

But they were just moments and then time would catch up with her and things would go back to platonic. Kagome was never sure, so she just resolved to not bring it up.

With a final quick glance at Inuyasha, Kagome turned her attention to her laptop and began working on the assignment.

O.o.O.o.O

The following Friday, Kagome was sitting in her last class of the day. It was the only class she didn't have with Inuyasha, so she was usually bored. It was an elective that had nothing to do with her major, so she never really paid much attention…especially not that day.

Inuyasha had his date that night.

He'd told her a little about the girl over the course of the week. She was a Political Science major. According to Inuyasha, they had a class together the previous semester and had talked a few times and he'd been interested, but nothing had happened. When Inuyasha walked into one of his classes to see the girl on the first day of the current semester, with an empty seat next to her at that, he took it as a sign of fate.

Kagome tried to be happy for him.

"That's great," she'd said when he'd filled her in on the phone the previous night.

"Kagome, what's going on?" Inuyasha asked. "Is everything alright?" Kagome scolded herself. _Get a grip!_

"Yeah, I'm fine." She faked a chuckle at the end of her reply.

Inuyasha sighed.

"I think you've forgotten that you're my best friend," he reminded. "I _know _you, Kagome. Something's off." Kagome cringed.

"It's just been a long week," she insisted. "Nothing to be too concerned about." Inuyasha was quiet, and she could tell he was thinking about how to respond.

"Okay," he said hesitantly, finally letting it go. "What should I wear?" Kagome couldn't help but smile.

"The socks," she replied firmly. Inuyasha laughed.

"She's not even going to see my socks!" His laugh echoed through the phone at the mention of a pair of brown woolen socks he had. Kagome loved them for some odd reason, so much so that Inuyasha had gotten her a matching pair for her most recent birthday. She never wore them; she just admired them.

"You never know," Kagome teased. "That could be what makes the date wonderful." Inuyasha laughed again.

"I don't think that's what'll make it wonderful," he replied. "This girl seems pretty great." Kagome cringed.

"That's good," she said, hiding the hurt tone in her voice. "You deserve the best."

And she was happy for him. She was just sad for herself.

Kagome's thoughts drifted back to the lecture to which she was pretending to pay attention. She was failing miserably.

_What if he falls in love with this girl and they get married?_

The thought jumped into her head unexpectedly, and she nearly jolted in shock. It was far-fetched, but still plausible. What if she never got the chance to find out if things had changed? What if he'd been into her but thought that her feelings were gone?

_I have to tell him how I feel._

Discreetly pulling out her phone, Kagome texted Inuyasha to see if he could meet her after class.

He didn't respond until Kagome's class had ended and she was halfway to her car. After a quick affirmation and a short agreement on the place, Kagome headed over to Inuyasha's apartment. It was a ten-minute drive, but it felt like it lasted for ten years.

Her hands were shaking when she pulled into the parking lot.

Her heart was racing as she walked up the steps to the front door.

Her breathing stopped when she knocked.

And then, when Inuyasha opened the door and smiled that familiar smile at her, she relaxed. No matter what happened, she knew she would always have his friendship.

_Now just calmly ask if you can come inside and carefully tell him how you feel._

"I'm in love with you."

It came out of her mouth before she could stop it, and Inuyasha's wide-eyed, open-mouthed gape at her blurted confession immediately had her questioning if she'd made a mistake.

But there she was. In front of her best friend having just made the biggest admission of her life.

_I'm probably screwed now…_

To be continued…


	2. Inuyasha

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 2: Inuyasha

Inuyasha's mind drifted during his last class of the day.

It was mid-afternoon on Friday, and he had a date tonight.

And he was excited…or so he kept telling himself.

Kagome had been acting weird lately, but he knew it was best to not pester her. Sometimes she was quiet and brooding; that's just how she was. He couldn't help but feel like this time _he_ had something to do with it, but he figured she would open up to him about it in time.

He went straight home after class to shower and get ready for his date. As he was trying to brush out his thick, annoying hair, his phone went off with a text from Kagome.

He frowned at his best friend's shorter-than-usual text, once again reaffirming his suspicion that something was wrong.

She was coming over after her class got out, so he resolved to seriously ask her what was wrong.

As he slipped on a pair of dark khakis and a light blue button-down shirt, he heard a knock at the door.

When he opened it and saw his best friend, he smiled.

The look on her face was one he'd never seen before; it was a mix of fear, worry, and something he else he couldn't quite name.

But what shocked him more than anything was the first thing that came out of her mouth.

"I'm in love with you."

Inuyasha forgot to breathe. His heart forgot to beat. His eyes widened and he felt his jaw drop a bit.

Then he said the worst thing he could have said:

"Huh?"

Kagome looked horrified at his response, knowing him well enough to know it wasn't a positive one.

Her face went redder than he'd ever seen and her eyes went wider than his.

A small squeak came out of her as she turned around and ran back down the stairs to the parking lot.

Before he could react, he heard a car door slam and the rev of an engine as Kagome drove away.

Inuyasha stood there for a solid two minutes just staring in confusion. He couldn't even fathom what had just happened. He'd had no idea that Kagome still felt that way about him.

But the question that confused him the most…

How did he feel about her?

When Inuyasha finally gathered his bearings, he closed the front door and went back to his bedroom. He flopped onto his bed and just thought for a moment.

When the answer didn't come to him, he sat up and ran a hand over his face. He had no idea what to do, and his thoughts just felt muddled and-

His gaze caught on his shoes and socks he'd set out. At the sight of the socks, he sighed. She was his best friend. If they dated and it didn't work out, then that friendship would be ruined.

He decided to call her the next day to tell her he was sorry, but he didn't feel the same way about her. She was still his best friend, and he wanted her to know that.

_We've gone through this before and still been close,_ he mused to himself. _It'll be the same thing again. I'll give her some space and then tomorrow I'll call her and we can talk._

With his new resolve planned out, he got up from his bed and put those socks on with a pair brown shoes. He was ready for his date.

The plan was for him to pick Kikyo up from her apartment and then they were going to get dinner before heading over to the pond at the park to feed the ducks. It was simple, which was good because Inuyasha was a pretty simple guy.

Once he was completely ready, he locked his front door behind him and headed down the stairs to his car. He was still bothered by Kagome's reaction to the foot he'd shoved way into his mouth with his "huh" response, but he felt confident that things would be fine by the next day. There was no point in worrying about it.

It was a fifteen-minute drive to Kikyo's apartment, and when he arrived, he found that he wasn't as excited as he'd been earlier. Kagome was running rampant in his mind.

_Get it together,_ he chided himself. _You're going on a date with _Kikyo_, the girl you've been into for a while now. Focus on that._

Inuyasha got out of his car and walked to the door of Kikyo's apartment before knocking on the door.

When she answered the door, he had to keep his eyes from going wide.

She looked fantastic in a little black dress and white sandals. Her dark blue eyes peered up at him, a shy smile coming onto her face.

"Hi," she greeted. Inuyasha smiled.

"Hey," he replied. "You look great. Are you ready?" Kikyo nodded and walked out of the apartment, locking the door behind her.

They made small talk as they headed to Inuyasha's car and made their way to the restaurant.

Kikyo was funny, and Inuyasha was thoroughly enjoying her company.

But there was something off.

He couldn't pinpoint what it was, but something was starting to eat away at him. He pushed it out of his mind and focused on his date.

Dinner was nice, but he found that the easy conversation he and Kikyo were having was good, but it wasn't like a dream or anything.

_She sure is different from Kagome,_ he thought to himself. _Not as lively and her smile is nowhere near as contagious. Her eyes are blue like Kagome's, but they're darker and don't show her every emotion in them. Kagome's eyes do. So how did I not realize how she felt about me?_

Whoa. That came out of nowhere.

Once again pushing thoughts of Kagome out of his mind, Inuyasha focused on the funny story Kikyo was telling about her younger sister.

He laughed, truly entertained by the story.

By the end of the date, Inuyasha was still having a good time, but there was still something in his mind nagging away at him.

When he walked Kikyo to her door, he saw her fumble with her keys for an extra moment, the universal sign that a woman wants you to kiss her.

But…Inuyasha couldn't.

He scolded himself. _Why not, baka? You just had a great time, and she's beautiful and funny and pleasant._

But he just couldn't.

So he leaned in and just gave her a quick, chaste kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you later," he said as he stepped back.

If Kikyo was disappointed, she didn't show it.

Kikyo only smiled. "See you in class," she echoed back before going inside.

Inuyasha walked back to his car broodingly. What was wrong with him?

When he got home, he walked to his room and sat down on the bed as Kagome entered his mind again.

He shook her out of his thoughts as he took his shoes and socks off. As he went to throw the socks in the laundry hamper, he paused.

_"__Because they're my most favorite things ever," Kagome said, reaching down and touching his sock-covered ankle. Inuyasha laughed._

_"__Well, happy birthday, Kagome," he said as he pulled out a little gift bag. Kagome's eyes lit up as she took the bag._

_"__Thank you!" she squealed as she opened the bag and pulled out the socks._

_"__Inuyasha!" she squeaked. "My own pair of the best socks ever!" She attacked him with a giant hug. Her touchy-feely nature had taken some getting used to, but he'd grown accustomed to it now. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back._

The memory was random and confusing.

But as looked at the socks again, he knew.

Kagome. It had always been Kagome.

She supported him through everything, she was there for him whenever he needed her, and she just understood him in ways he couldn't even understand himself. He was so, so stupid.

He had to see her. Right now.

Inuyasha glanced at his watch and saw that it was eleven-thirty. He knew she'd be up, but he was sure she was in bed reading.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," he murmured to himself as he put his shoes and socks back on before running out of his bedroom.

His roommate and close friend, Miroku, had arrived home at some point during Inuyasha's brooding, and at the sight of the silver-haired man running through the apartment, he jumped.

"What are you doing?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha waved him off as he ran to the front door. "I have to go tell Kagome I love her!"

Without waiting to hear Miroku's reaction, he ran to his car and peeled out of his parking spot.

He was an idiot for thinking everything would be the same after she confessed her love for him again. Nothing would ever be the same.

Because she loved him and he loved her.

When he pulled into Kagome's parking lot, he slammed the car into park and ran out and up to her door.

He knocked and waited with baited breath.

When she opened the door, he saw that she was wearing her glasses instead of the usual contacts, her hair was up, and she was clad in pajamas.

Beautiful.

"Inuyasha," she said, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of him. "What are you-"

"I'm in love with you, too!" he shouted, cutting her off. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. It just…took me a little while to realize I feel the same way.

Kagome looked shocked into silence as he saw tears pool in her eyes. A few leaked onto her cheeks.

Inuyasha immediately panicked. "Why the heck are you crying?" he asked. "I thought you would be happy!"

Kagome laughed through her tears. "I _am_ happy, baka," she replied, looking up at him and reaching up to cup his cheeks in her hand.

Inuyasha smiled and moved his hands to gently rest on her waist before wrapping his arms fully around her.

He slid one hand up into her hair before leaning down to kiss her.

It was so different, so new, from how he'd ever interacted with her. It was love, he knew, and he never wanted the feeling to end.

He relished in the long, lingering kisses and the taste of mouthwash on her tongue. A wave of affection for her washed over him. It was the same mouthwash he used and convinced her to try after swearing it was better than five dentist appointments combined. It was yet another little joke they had between them.

He held her a little closer, a little tighter.

After what felt like what he knew was longer than it had really been, they pulled away and Inuyasha tightened his arms around her to engulf her in a hug.

This was right. This was real.

He knew he was right: nothing would ever be the same. It would only get better.

FIN.

I hope you all enjoyed!

Much love. :)


End file.
